Epilogue 2 #2
“Of course, kotoynok, she looks like you— that’s why.” Kon was a smooth talker. With a face, body, and voice like that, I wasn’t surprised. He was any woman’s wet dream.
“Hey!” She lightly slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t start looking at her like that. She’s my sister, and you can’t have her.”
A troublesome smirk played on his lips.
“Don’t.”
“Or what, kotoynok? What will you do?”
“Fuck off, I’m warning you. You’ll regret it.”
“Watch that mouth, or you’ll be screaming out for mercy later.”
Blush coaxed Blair’s high cheeks.
It seemed like they were going to rip each other’s clothes off and fuck right in front of me.
And while I was all for sex, this was hitting a little close to discomfort, as she still didn’t know all her blood ties.
“And,” I broke the tension and showed her another portrait of a seventeen-year-old blonde Prince. “This is your baby brother, Joseph “Joey” Edward DeLoughrey.”
“Joey, ah, he’s too cute.” Her awe only grew as her curiosity did as she asked me the next vital question. “And who’s my younger sister?”
My lips parted and opened, and then I closed them, wondering how best to deliver the message.
“What is it? She’s not dead, is she? Right? She’s not dead.” Panic bled into her voice as she incessantly tried to convince herself.
I waved my hand, making a cutting action. “No. No, please don’t jump to conclusions.”
“Then?”
“It’s just we haven’t found her yet.” I explained, carefully measuring my words as my throat felt stiff. “I have an inkling of who she can be, but nothing is concrete. If you give me some more time, I’m sure we will be able to find her and bring your family together.”
Her gaze became deeply pensive, a shred of sadness burning deeply in them. It wasn’t easy being apart from the ones you loved, but it was a sacrifice you had to make.
“I want to meet them, Breelynn and Joey. I don’t want to wait any longer.” She insisted with conviction, her back straightened, her head held high.
“We can arrange that; however, we must take it slow and be cautious. Just like myself, your sister has enemies, so we have to be careful that they don’t use you as a ploy.”
Her shoulder fell inward in some sense of defeat. “How soon?”
“I’m not sure yet. Details like these need to be planned. I don’t want to risk losing you too.”
She clicked her tongue. “Not to be rude or anything, but why would you care?”
“Because there are others looking forward to meeting and getting to know you.”
“And who will that be?”
“Me.” I revealed, letting her know our true relationship. “Blood of your blood.”
Her jaw dropped, dumbfounded.
“What the fuck are you going on about?” Kon spat, his arm shooting out in front of his wife in defense, guarding his wife. “Are you saying all you wanted from me was to use my wife for your dirty schemes?”
It made sense that was their initial thought.
After all, to get those you want to join your side, you deceive and manipulate, but there was no need to deceive on my part.
“Your wife is my cousin. Our great-great-grandmother Queen Brianna Elizabeth DeLoughrey was the first in our line to start the DeLoughrey Dynasty.”
“You have no proof of what you’re saying.” Kon sounded aggravated.
Ignoring his little fit, I said nonchalantly. “A simple DNA test will prove it.”
“Third cousins.” Blair finally spoke. “If we go that far back, we’re cousins then.”
“To be more technical, yes.” I agreed.
“But your father—”
Just at the mention of him— that man who gave me life but took away my freedom— my veins were poisoned with anger and frustration as I snapped my head at Konstantin.
“I did not choose my father nor the family I was born into. You as well as I know that family is a life sentence; we must carry the burden of dealing with it.” I alluded to his messy family history that involved betrayal, secrets, and deception.
Kon’s lips lined with irritation, his lack of response detailing my point.
The past was a tragic history that was written in the stars and sewn into our souls. The future, however, was yet to be determined.
“But even then, I will do anything and everything to keep my family safe. No matter the cost.” Sincerity honed into my words, my heart only filled with the purest of intentions, and my mind afflicted with the worst torments.
Because after being sacrificed, degraded, abused, maimed, violated, and having survived, they will never know what I went through.
And I would do it all again for them. “I swear it to you.
I will never bring any of you harm. I'd rather die.”
Kon parted from his chair. “I don’t believe a word you’re saying—”
Blair placed a hand on his hair, stopping him. “She’s being truthful.”
His gaze intensified like a wildfire consuming a forest, cruelly and fiercely. “How do you know, kotyonok?”
She looked at him and then back at me as if she could see what I kept hidden deep, deep inside. “I just do.”
Discomfort chafed my skin; I hated when anyone saw my weakness.
“Fuck,” he gritted, shaking his head as he turned around, pacing the room. “I don’t know.”
“She freed you from prison. Why would she do that if she went through all that trouble to save your lazy ass?” Another grave, emotionless voice entered the room as my eyes wandered over to my best soldier, one of my protectors.
“Who the fuck do you think you are calling me…” Kon trailed off when he turned around to be met with his own twin.
At six-five, he had eyes that were more steel gray than blue, black hair that slicked around his nape, a shadow of a scruff on his jaw, and black ink tattooed on his arms that served more as life’s story than art.
He wore a gray short-sleeve shirt, army green combat pants, and boots; he was the spitting image of an experienced bloodbath soldier.
Rhys leaned his side against the door, folding his arms and crossing one leg over the other. His features neither surprised nor conflicted since I advised him about this meeting beforehand. “Amused yet, brother?” The apathy in his voice trained from years of silence and experience.
Kon blinked incessantly. “What. The. Fuck?”
Blair leaned forward in her chair, asking. “Are they twins?”
“Yes, but there’s one missing.”
“Triplets?” Blair and he exclaimed.
Konstantin rubbed his temples in increasing disbelief. “Someone needs to explain what the fuck is happening.”
“Babe, it’s kinda obvious. Our parents did a lot of fucking.” Blair blurted.
“That’s the short story,” Rhys added, his eyes lingering on Blair for a moment too long not to notice. But that was not the sister he wanted.
“Then tell us the long version.” Kon demanded.
“I can’t.”
“You don’t remember.”
“Do you?”
Konstantin shook his head.
The family reunion wasn’t as expected, as the tension grew to an uncomfortable start. Neither one knew who they were, and they wouldn’t imagine the power they had either.
“But you believe her?” Kon asked him, his eyes piercing into Rhys like attempting to analyze him.
Their gazes mirrored each other's souls.
Funny, considering they were replicas.
Rhys’s eyes locked with mine, reflecting the same old sympathy circling in them since I was a child. “Without question. I put my life in her hands each and every day and will continue until I die.” His vote of confidence made fondness grow in my heart for him.
“That much certainty for a woman who isn’t yours?” Konstantin tsked, almost insinuating something more intimate.
“It’s not that type of affection I have for her.” Rhys’ voice softened an octave.
“He’s known me since I was a child.” I explained that what we had was different. In a world where people believe men and women can’t be friends or companions, our companionship helped us feel a little less lonely and abandoned in this dark world.
“Kon,” Blair begins, imploring him in a subtle manner. “This is where we belong.”
Their gazes connected, and there appeared to be a silent war manifesting itself.
He closed his eyes and sighed, directing a question to his happy wife.
“Do I ever have a say in things anymore?”
“Nope.” She teased him with a smile, but Kon seemed more than satisfied as long as he lived a life with her.
He folded his arms across his muscled chest and reopened his eyes, clearer than before. “I guess I lost the battle then.”
“On the contrary, battle has just begun.” I announced, gazing back on my newfound allies.
From here on out, it was a mission to rule the world.
And we would burn those who sat on the thrones like gods.